← The Travels of Marco Polo — Volume 2
Appendices
LIST OF MSS. OF MARCO POLO’S BOOK SO FAR AS THEY ARE KNOWN.
II., p. 533.
Glasgow, Hunterian Museum. No. 84, vellum, 4to, Cent. XV.: 1. Guido de Colonna’s Destruction of Troy. 2. Julius Valerius’ History of Alexander the Great. 3. Archbishop Turpin’s Itinerary. 4. Marco Polo.
Begins (25, 5 [f. 191 (197) ro, lines 1–3): ¶ [blue] Incipit liber domini marci Pauli de Venecijs | de condicionibus et consuetudinibus orientalium regionum [rubric] L [small illuminated initial] Ibrum prudentis honorabilis ac fidelissimi domini marci.
Ends (33, 3 [f. 253 (259) ro, lines 8–12): girfalci et herodij qui inde postmodum ad diuersas prouincias | et regiones deferuntur et cetera. ¶ [blue] Explicit liber domini marci Pauli | de Venecijs de diuisionibus et consue- | tudinibus orientalium regionum [Pipino’s Version].
5. Frater Odoricus Forojuliensis.
6. Iohannis Mandeville, De Mirabilibus.
II., p. 533.
Glasgow, Hunterian Museum, Cent. XIV. No. 458, vellum, 4to. 1. Marci Pavli Veneti, De Orientalibvs Regionibvs.
Begins—after a preface by “Frater Franciscus Pipinus de Bononia” beginning (1, 1 ro, lines 1–4): Incipit liber primus domini marci pauli de venecijs de orien [rubric] | L [gilt historiated initial with gestures forming a floreated border.] Ibrum prudentis talibus regionibus. Prolo [last three words rubric] | honorabilis ac fidelissimi domini gus. [last word rubric] | marci pauli de venetijs de conditio | and ending (1, 2 ro, line 3): nostri ihesu christi cunctorum uisibilium et inuisibilium creatoris, after which comes a list of the chapters, titles and numbers (the latter rubricated) which concludes (1, 7 ro, line 1): D (small blue initial with red ornament) e prouincia ruthenorum, xlix.—(1, 7 ro, lines 2–5): Capitulum primum primi libri. Qualiter et quare dominus | nicholaus pauli de venetijs, et dominus marchus [rubric] | T [blue and red illuminated initial with minute spread eagle in centre] Empore quo transierunt ad partes [last three words rubric] | balduinus princeps orientales. [last words rubric.]
Ends (14, 1 ro, lines 26, 27): et diuersas prouincias deferuntur. Explicit liber domini | marci pauli de venetis de diuisionibus et consuetudinibus orientalium.
2. Odoric.
II., p. 534.
Paris, see No. 18—Bibliothèque Nationale Département des Manuscrits—Livre des Merveilles, Odoric de Pordenone, Mandeville, Hayton, etc.—Reproduction des 265 miniatures du Manuscrit français 2810 de la Bibliothèque Nationale. Paris, Imprimerie Berthaud frères, 31, rue de Bellefond, 2 vol. in–8.
Marco Polo, Planches, 1–84.
II., p. 539.
Antwerp, Museum Plantin-Moretus. Exhibited in Room III., No. 61: Extraits du Livre de Marco Polo de Venise et d’un livre sur l’origine de quelques villes belges.
132 leaves; 185 × 270 millimeters, XVth Century. Adorned initials, alternately blue and red. Headings of chapters underlined in red. Leather binding XVIth century, with small flowers de luce; copper clasps and ten nails. On the last leaf, in a running hand: Este liber partinet Nicholao le buqueteur; the name of Abraham Vander Veken (Abrā Vander Veque), and the date 1600, 3/22, on the first and on the last but one leaves.
Fol. 2 recto. Extracta de libro dn̄i Pauli de Venecijs de diversis provincijs et regnis maior[um] et de diversis moribus habitantiu[m] et de multis mirabilibus in hijs locis et Asije. Eleven lines further: Quomodo iverunt at Berchaman. Fol. 95 r: De Sancto Thoma apto ubi jacet et qno mortu(us) est. Fol. 106 r: Epilogatio de maiori Yndia. F. 117 v, last chapter: De dissentione orta inter Alandūm Tartaror[um] et B̄cha regem. Ends, f. 118 r: Hii tamen reges proximi parentis erant et ambo ex Chinchini imperialis progenie descendentes. Explicit.
The end of the MS. (f. 118–132) has for object the origin of Belgian villages.
I owe this information to M. J. Denucé.
II., p. 542.